dying cornish chicks

[hunterblu123]

I got 100 cornish chicks 4 weeks ago. I have lost 20 + chicks. They have food all day and I take it way @ night. I have heat lamp on them. They all look good and running a round and then the next morning there will be 4-5 dead. Then I will go a week without any dying. Is it the breed or what? I've heard they will mash each other and they are not the brightest. I don't understand.

 

[bigredfeather]

I'm guessing it is from piling at night. How big of an pen do you have them in? As odd as it sounds, you might be better off without the heat lamp. They may be all trying to get underneath it. I have some that are 6 weeks right now, and they have been outside for 3 weeks already with no issues, and our weather should be similiar. I have found the sooner you wean them for the heat, the better off you are. If they have heat, they tend to feather out slower.

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
Its also normal to lose some. I'm in north central Ohio, I agree with bigredfeather they probably are piling under the light if you only have one. I used a light only when the temps went low a couple weeks ago and I too lost some due to piling I went from 25 to 16 and only lost at night. After I stopped using the light I lost no more. Mine are getting processed today at 7 weeks. How old are yours? I would think if you are in southern Ohio you should be staying a lot warmer then us up here. If they are feathered enough I would say remove the light.

 

[hunterblu123]

So far I've lost 50 out of 100. And they were not under the light. They are 4 weeks I think.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
I don't know what else to tell you or have any explanation. Is this your first batch, or have you done some before?

 

[hunterblu123]

First batch of cornish. I have about 100 pullets/hens. Just put 50 BR & RIR in the freezer.

 

[Ariel301]

I have had the same problem with mine. A friend and I split an order, and we are both having the same issue in different setups. We started with 133 and between us are down to 38 birds at 6 weeks. Mine are in a coop/run with heat lamps (6 100 watt lamps so plenty of room to spread out and also room to get out of the heat if needed), eating 25% feed 12 hours on, 12 off, and getting a couple hours to roam around the yard in the afternoon. My friend's birds are in a tractor all the time, 12/12 hour food schedule, and eating 20% food. They started out with the piling issue....even though I have six lamps, they would not spread out, they are like a one-minded mob and would pile six birds deep under ONE lamp. Then, they started picking at each other whenever the food was gone, until one would die from picking, and then they would rip it apart and eat it. Gross! Now, they're dying for unknown reasons during the day, I will just find one in a weird stiff and contorted pose on the ground, cold to the touch even if it is under a lamp and still living, and they will die within hours. I check them every couple of hours all day long (this is getting to be such a time consuming project!) and they will literally be fine at one check and then one is dead or dying at the next. They are also not growing right, at 6 weeks old, they are a pound each or less.

Where did you buy yours from? Wonder if we got the same birds?

 

[hunterblu123]

I got mine from Mt. Healthy. We were going to and making them move every hr or so. That did help until we were all gone for 2-3 hrs and then come home to about 20 or so died. This is the last time for this breed.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
I can understand how you could feel this way, but understand, what's happening to you is not typical. I don't have an answer to why this is happening, but can tell you something is wrong, either with the birds themselves, something in their enviorment, their feed, it's has to be something. Mine where in an uncovered tractor last night with no heat(20 degrees this morning), and where just fine this morning. I wish I had an answer for you.

 

[GottaLuvChicks]

I am starting to have the same issue...randomly dying 6 week old chicks. Today we found 2 dead in the house, and one that probably will not make it over night (it has some sort of prolapse and is walking funny from it). The all eat VERY well (25% feed all day, free ranging and they get a big pumpkin almost every day). They are housed with our 10 BR hens and the Maran roo, and none of the big gang are having any issues. It is just very frustrating with the money we have put into them to have them start dying. They have a HUGE house, and I have not seen any issues with piling at night (I have checked). They have been outside for 3 weeks now, so the lack of heat isn't an issue. I, too, am considering not dealing with this breed again, simply because they eat SO much, it almost makes me wonder if they are worth it in the end....

Any ideas on what could be going on? They are averaging out about 3-4 lbs each (or at least they LOOK like it, they are HUGE), fully feathered, eat and drink well, etc etc. What is going on???